Soft Skills Training Course

The Soft Skills Training for Employees course offered on officeskills.org will teach you the essential soft skills required of an administrative professional in business that will enhance your personal interactions and lead to greater job satisfaction and performance. Identified as essential employability skills, soft skills, also called personal qualities or people skills,  are highly desired by employees in today’s workplace.  These skills will not only help you find a job, but when gained, will help you perform better in the workplace.

As AI continues to evolve, administrative office professionals face certain challenges to the way they have always been doing things. AI systems are now automating routine tasks such as appointment scheduling and message taking, answering calls and routing calls. However, what AI cannot do is demonstrate those important human soft skills like displaying empathy, communication skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills still required of an administrative professional.

While it is a fact that AI will impact administrative positions over the next decade, it is not likely to completely eliminate receptionist or administrative jobs any time soon. That’s why it is important to still focus on those interpersonal soft skills that are in demand and that we do still have control over.

What are soft skills for employees and why are they so important?

Soft skills are personal qualities or people skills that allow one to more effectively relate to others.  Unlike hard skills, which are applied towards specific types of jobs, such as an Administrative Assistant or Receptionist, soft skills traditionally aren’t taught in adult education or career training programs. They are, however, considered just as, if not more, important than hard skills. Some soft skills include having a positive attitude, effective time management, the ability to work on a team and how well you communicate.

Course Objectives

This soft skills training for employees course includes 8 weekly lessons and focuses on the most important soft skills for the administrative office professional. At the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Differentiate between soft skills and hard skills. Understand the importance of empathy and how to act with professionalism.
  • Become aware of ethics in the workplace, how to maintain a positive attitude and build a solid work ethic by finding gratitude and value in the job you are doing.
  • Develop essential communication skills and describe the six communication methods used today. Students will also become aware of the barriers to good communication and how to overcome them.
  • Understand the importance of why you should listen and describe the four elements of good listening. Students will also become aware of the barriers to good listening and apply ways to actively listen and improve their listening skills.
  • Describe what is a positive and professional attitude and identify what impacts ones attitude. Understand the five steps to transmitting a positive attitude and identify ways to improve ones attitude.
  • Apply the five steps to problem solving using critical thinking skills and recognize the importance of time management
  • Understand the importance of teamwork and how to become a team player. Become aware of team dynamics, team development and different personality types one can encounter when working on a team.
  • Look at ways to cope with change and how to become more adaptable and flexible at work.

Detailed Course Description

  • Module 1 – What are Soft Skills? The office professional can no longer depend on technical office skills alone for success on the job. They must have the ability to communicate and get along with people so an understanding of the importance of personal qualities (soft skills) and interpersonal skills is important.
  • Module 2 – Ethics in the Workplace – Everyone should be concerned about ethics in the workplace and it should be an important aspect of any work environment, no matter how small or large a company is. In this module we’ll look at the many issues that can arise in the workplace such as discrimination, prejudice or disputes that all have an impact on how a business is likely to be run. We will also be looking at how to build a solid work ethic by understanding the code of conduct and ways to improve your work ethic.
  • Module 3 – Communication skills – Regardless of the industry you work in or the position you hold, it’s essential to communicate effectively with those around you. More than ever in our digital age, it’s important to know how to effectively convey and receive messages in person (verbally) as well as via phone, email, chat, and social media. In this module we’ll explore the six communication methods used today. and learn how to recognize the barriers to good communication and how to overcome them.
  • Module 4 – Listening Skills – Listening is one of the most important soft skills you can have as an administrative professional, no matter which position you hold. How well you listen will have a major impact on your job effectiveness and ability to perform your job. If you develop good listening skills, you will be able to solve problems more effectively. In this module you’ll recognize the importance of why you should listen and gain an understanding of the four elements of good listening. You will also learn how to recognize the barriers to good listening and how to overcome them.
  • Module 5 – Attitude and Appearance – Having a good attitude is a choice you can make on a daily basis by making some positive choices. Understanding what impacts your attitude is the first step to improving your attitude. In this module, we’ll explore the Five Steps to Transmitting a Positive Attitude and identify ways to improve ones attitude.
  • Module 6 – Problem Solving and Time Management – In this module we’ll explore the five steps to problem solving using critical thinking skills. We’ll also learn the importance of time management and ways to improve your time management skills.
  • Module 7 – Teamwork – In this module, you’ll learn the importance of teamwork and how to become a team player.
  • Module 8 – Adaptability and Flexibility – Identify ways to cope with change and how to become more adaptable and flexible at work.

To improve your office skills and learn some valuable soft skills, take the Soft Skills Training for Administrative Professionals course on officeskills.org.

This course is taught in the Office Skills Collaborative Online Classroom. The Office Skills Collaborative Online Classroom is a fun and interactive way to learn Soft Skills. Get the benefit of learning online while being in a classroom environment with an instructor, other students, discussion forums, chat rooms, lectures, presentations and video demonstrations.

Office Skills Author

Author Bio: Dawn Bieser is the Founder, Instructor and Virtual Office Professional with OfficeSkills.org. Dawn has been teaching office skills for over two decades, both in the classroom and on her website, officeskills.org. She enjoys using her skills in education and technology to help individuals improve their effectiveness and efficiency and gain new skills. You can find more about her on her About page

 

 

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